UPDATE: The Daily Mirror has taken down its article suggesting that Isla Vista killer Elliot Rodger’s consumption of creatine as a sports nutrition supplement may have contributed to his actions following a swift response by the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA). ESSNA’s defence of the substance highlighted its safety record and explained the lack of evidence of any negative side effects to support the claims made in the article, which had cited a ‘close friend’ of the killer as its source.
A leading British newspaper talks sensationalist tosh about Isla Vista killer, Elliot Rodger’s, consumption of creatine as a sport nutrition supplement, says leading food law expert.
The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) has responded swiftly to an article on the website of UK newspaper the Daily Mirror, which suggests that Isla Vista, California, killer Elliot Rodger’s consumption of creatine as a sports supplement may have contributed to his actions.
Chris Whitehouse, Director of Strategy of the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance, said “Creatine is safe to use. The European Food Safety Authority – which has notoriously strict food safety guidelines – advises that, while high loading doses should be avoided, the consumption of the recommended lower doses are unlikely to pose any risk or adverse side effects.”
He continued, “Creatine has a very well-established safety record, and rarely have any athletes reported problems with the substance. It is crucial that people know that creatine is not an anabolic steroid and therefore has no association with what is commonly referred to nowadays as ‘roid rage’, as is implied in this very unfortunate scenario.
“While some negativity may be due to consumers taking well over their recommended dose, we have yet to encounter a creatine user who has ever complained of serious or damaging effects. In short, the Daily Mirror is talking absolute tosh!”
The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance is an alliance of European sports nutrition companies that was formed in December 2003.
Members of the Alliance include Adams Food Ingredients, Aminolabs, Body Temple UK, CLF Distribution, First Milk, Future Nutrition, Iovate Health Sciences, Kinetica, Mass Nutrition Kostexperten, Maxinutrition, myprotein.co.uk, Natrol, NSF, Prometeus, Sci-MX Nutrition, Sports Supplements, Tropicana Health and Fitness Ltd, US Nutrition, USN UK, Volac, Weider Germany, NBTY Europe, BodyBuilding.com, Glanbia Performance Nutrition, PhD Nutrition, CytoSport UK, Future Nutrition, Arla Food Ingredients, Athlete King Sports Nutrition Ltd, BULK POWDERS, Grenade, Vitamin Center and High5.
Associate members of the Alliance include HFMA (The UK Health Food Manufacturers’ Association), Weider Publishing, Fitnessboutique, LGC, Cambridge Commodities and Healthy Inspirations.
Author: Chris Whitehouse
The Whitehouse Consultancy is Europe’s leading public affairs agency for the specialist health product sector. The agency’s clients include Consumers for Health Choice and the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance and a wide range of specialist food product manufacturers and distributors.